In a week when we have seen small bug significant events in the sometimes beastly sport of football and its push for total global domination, RU is taking steps backwards with the SA clubs joining Pro12 - a money grab in the heartlands, rather than a missionary spreading of the word to new pastures.

This weeks events that grabbed my attention were firstly 2 exhibitions matches played in Pakistan featuring recent stars of football (Ronaldinho, Giggsy to name just 2). The aim was clear - to promote the interest in football. This was a bold and brave move - global stars (probably well paid I admit) taking a risk in a country where there has been no international sport for a while.

The second event - we're all familiar with the big clubs travelling the world to push their brand in big markets. Everton fetched up in East Africa, and played to 35,000 in Tanzania. What do we get in Rugby? The Lions going to the same places every two years, with the British Rugby loving media pack eulogising the spirit of the Lions (isn't it odd how prevalent the Lion is as a symbol of Britishness yet lions are not an indigenous species of the UK Isles). The Lions serves only the established Rugby Cartel, the old empire game.

Can't we, as supporters, lobby our clubs to go out and spread the word? Why not push the Lions to every years and replace the lost year with exhibition tours

If Everton can go the East Africa, why can't Saracens and Toulon go to Germany, or Russia and play a couple of exhibition matches as part of their pre-season? Why we get an all-stars team of recently retired players to go on a world tour promoting this game?

That's really something I've wondered about for years.If the 22nd ranked national team in the world, who has played the game for over 160 years, who has clubs over 145 years old, who is one of the world's biggest economies, who borders one major nation and is a two-hour-flight away from every other continental rugby power, has just played one single top10 team (France) in all of that time, something is terribly wrong with our beloved sport.

How to grow rugby worldwide?Look at the world ranking in July. Teams ranked 1-10 have to play one team from 11-20 (they don't play in a regular competition) away the next year. 11-20 play 21-30 away and so on. Yes, it really is that simple.

RugbyLiebe wrote:That's really something I've wondered about for years.If the 22nd ranked national team in the world, who has played the game for over 160 years, who has clubs over 145 years old, who is one of the world's biggest economies, who borders one major nation and is a two-hour-flight away from every other continental rugby power, has just played one single top10 team (France) in all of that time, something is terribly wrong with our beloved sport.

Sorry but you played Romania in 1963(my father make his debut in that game so i know exactly). And we were in top 10 in those days. I don't know what you need more?! )

RugbyLiebe wrote:That's really something I've wondered about for years.If the 22nd ranked national team in the world, who has played the game for over 160 years, who has clubs over 145 years old, who is one of the world's biggest economies, who borders one major nation and is a two-hour-flight away from every other continental rugby power, has just played one single top10 team (France) in all of that time, something is terribly wrong with our beloved sport.

You barely understand everything. Rugby is a niche sport only because of his administration. Only a boycott of Rugby World Cup would change something.

RugbyLiebe wrote:That's really something I've wondered about for years.If the 22nd ranked national team in the world, who has played the game for over 160 years, who has clubs over 145 years old, who is one of the world's biggest economies, who borders one major nation and is a two-hour-flight away from every other continental rugby power, has just played one single top10 team (France) in all of that time, something is terribly wrong with our beloved sport.

Sorry but you played Romania in 1963(my father make his debut in that game so i know exactly). And we were in top 10 in those days. I don't know what you need more?! )

Sorry a nation which has already beaten a top10 nation. And that more than once

olivier wrote:You barely understand everything. Rugby is a niche sport only because of his administration. Only a boycott of Rugby World Cup would change something.

I am quite aware about this. Actually my theory why rugby never caught on in Germany is our scorn of snobs. We just ignore them. Still the best sport in the world.

How to grow rugby worldwide?Look at the world ranking in July. Teams ranked 1-10 have to play one team from 11-20 (they don't play in a regular competition) away the next year. 11-20 play 21-30 away and so on. Yes, it really is that simple.

Yes we let you to win one time each era: one in communist brotherhood and one for capitalism brotherhood.Wait for next one in nomoremoneyhippieera. And if you ask a Berliner he will say you have few snobs in Bavaria ) (off course persons in this discussion are excluded).

RugbyLiebe wrote:That's really something I've wondered about for years.If the 22nd ranked national team in the world, who has played the game for over 160 years, who has clubs over 145 years old, who is one of the world's biggest economies, who borders one major nation and is a two-hour-flight away from every other continental rugby power, has just played one single top10 team (France) in all of that time, something is terribly wrong with our beloved sport.

I totally agree, it boils down to the administrators of the game. The main people there would just want the status quo to be maintaned and no change at all.

RugbyLiebe wrote:That's really something I've wondered about for years.If the 22nd ranked national team in the world, who has played the game for over 160 years, who has clubs over 145 years old, who is one of the world's biggest economies, who borders one major nation and is a two-hour-flight away from every other continental rugby power, has just played one single top10 team (France) in all of that time, something is terribly wrong with our beloved sport.

I totally agree, it boils down to the administrators of the game. The main people there would just want the status quo to be maintaned and no change at all.

I actually think a lot of them secretly harbour a desire to see the game go backwards to amateurism when they had more power. You look at the positions of power that that old duffer John Spencer has got himself into, even after presiding over the ridiculous ban of Alesana Tuilagi in the 2015 World Cup, and just want to weep.

Bogdan_DC wrote:Yes we let you to win one time each era: one in communist brotherhood and one for capitalism brotherhood.Wait for next one in nomoremoneyhippieera. And if you ask a Berliner he will say you have few snobs in Bavaria ) (off course persons in this discussion are excluded).

Don't listen to those Prussians. There never came anything good out of Prussia. And you know from our Bavarian view everything apart from Baden-Württemberg is Prussia No way we've ever been arrogant to those poor and lazy Berliners who are not even able to work or even clean their own streets. Good luck to them avoiding the dog shit on the streets

But it was never easy to be Bavrian. I mean those damn canyon shitters (Austrians) are fake Bavarians. They even speak middle or south Bavarian from a linguistic point of view, but are not proud enough to give in that they should be Bavarian. As you can see under this circumstances we Bavrians are surrounded by enemy territory.

Btt. and joking aside: Read a very interesting article about the Brexit today in german news magazine "Der Spiegel", were they are wondering that the Brits honestly think they might get a special treatment after the Brexit just because they once were an Empire.I think this has a lot to do with that.And lets face it. ALL the former nations of the Empire do actually get a more favourable treatment in rugby than the others. So there might be something true in this theory.

How to grow rugby worldwide?Look at the world ranking in July. Teams ranked 1-10 have to play one team from 11-20 (they don't play in a regular competition) away the next year. 11-20 play 21-30 away and so on. Yes, it really is that simple.

Sorry but i visit only Munchen (and i like it) so i don't know if the Berliners are right or not.I take even further your theory: all the nations with a monarchy house have specials relations even if their monarchies are not ruling anymore.Maybe because of that they are hating Russians&French because they killed their relatives ).

Bogdan_DC wrote:Yes we let you to win one time each era: one in communist brotherhood and one for capitalism brotherhood.Wait for next one in nomoremoneyhippieera. And if you ask a Berliner he will say you have few snobs in Bavaria ) (off course persons in this discussion are excluded).

Don't listen to those Prussians. There never came anything good out of Prussia. And you know from our Bavarian view everything apart from Baden-Württemberg is Prussia No way we've ever been arrogant to those poor and lazy Berliners who are not even able to work or even clean their own streets. Good luck to them avoiding the dog shit on the streets

But it was never easy to be Bavrian. I mean those damn canyon shitters (Austrians) are fake Bavarians. They even speak middle or south Bavarian from a linguistic point of view, but are not proud enough to give in that they should be Bavarian. As you can see under this circumstances we Bavrians are surrounded by enemy territory.

Btt. and joking aside: Read a very interesting article about the Brexit today in german news magazine "Der Spiegel", were they are wondering that the Brits honestly think they might get a special treatment after the Brexit just because they once were an Empire.I think this has a lot to do with that.And lets face it. ALL the former nations of the Empire do actually get a more favourable treatment in rugby than the others. So there might be something true in this theory.

I read a book called "the shortest history of germany" which was bascally a polemic on why Prussia was not really Germany. Good book.

jservuk wrote:If Everton can go the East Africa, why can't Saracens and Toulon go to Germany, or Russia and play a couple of exhibition matches as part of their pre-season?

In the case of Saracens, because they'll be in Bermuda doing the sort of thing you're complaining about rugby teams not doing.

Bermudas. Think that through. Can't wait to see those Million Bermudians (?) pick up our beloved game. Great from the Saracens to really push rugby into new markets.

How to grow rugby worldwide?Look at the world ranking in July. Teams ranked 1-10 have to play one team from 11-20 (they don't play in a regular competition) away the next year. 11-20 play 21-30 away and so on. Yes, it really is that simple.

jservuk wrote:In a week when we have seen small bug significant events in the sometimes beastly sport of football and its push for total global domination, RU is taking steps backwards with the SA clubs joining Pro12 - a money grab in the heartlands, rather than a missionary spreading of the word to new pastures.

This weeks events that grabbed my attention were firstly 2 exhibitions matches played in Pakistan featuring recent stars of football (Ronaldinho, Giggsy to name just 2). The aim was clear - to promote the interest in football. This was a bold and brave move - global stars (probably well paid I admit) taking a risk in a country where there has been no international sport for a while.

The second event - we're all familiar with the big clubs travelling the world to push their brand in big markets. Everton fetched up in East Africa, and played to 35,000 in Tanzania. What do we get in Rugby? The Lions going to the same places every two years, with the British Rugby loving media pack eulogising the spirit of the Lions (isn't it odd how prevalent the Lion is as a symbol of Britishness yet lions are not an indigenous species of the UK Isles). The Lions serves only the established Rugby Cartel, the old empire game.

Can't we, as supporters, lobby our clubs to go out and spread the word? Why not push the Lions to every years and replace the lost year with exhibition tours

If Everton can go the East Africa, why can't Saracens and Toulon go to Germany, or Russia and play a couple of exhibition matches as part of their pre-season? Why we get an all-stars team of recently retired players to go on a world tour promoting this game?

You can't compare rugby to soccer. Rugby is a growing sport while soccer is the biggest sport on the planet and is awash with cash. The top14 is the wealthiest non international rugby competition in the world. I think their TV money is €94m. Sunderland received €93.5m for finishing in 20th place - bottom - of the English premier league!

The old cartel as you call it is battling ever increasing costs. Why shouldn't they look after themselves first?

And you think these soccer clubs are visiting asia to make the little children happy? Yeah right. Its for business reasons.

RugbyLiebe wrote:Btt. and joking aside: Read a very interesting article about the Brexit today in german news magazine "Der Spiegel", were they are wondering that the Brits honestly think they might get a special treatment after the Brexit just because they once were an Empire.I think this has a lot to do with that.

And lets face it. ALL the former nations of the Empire do actually get a more favourable treatment in rugby than the others. So there might be something true in this theory.

Special treatment from whom? To be honest, from the number of articles I have gleaned from the German press on Brexit, I'm not sure there's anything vaguely objective worth reading.

In terms of Rugby, Canada are a former nation of the Empire, do you think they get more favourable treatment than say Georgia?